---

I sprint through the dark alley, my breaths ragged and uneven. I don't dare turn around—their footsteps are enough to tell me how close they are. My bare feet, cold and numb against the rough ground, make every step harder.

I can't do it anymore.

Their shouts grow louder, closer. Desperation fuels me as I push toward the alley's exit, hope flickering like a dying flame. But just as I’m about to break free, a rough, calloused hand grabs my arm and yanks me back, stealing the breath from my lungs.

A sharp gasp escapes me, only to be muffled by another hand, strong and unyielding.

---

"So you can marry me," he said, his voice steady, almost casual.

My head snapped toward him, eyes wide with disbelief. "What?" I asked, the word falling from my lips like a sharp exhale.

"A contract marriage. A fake one," he clarified, leaning back in his chair as if he hadn’t just turned my world upside down. His tone was calm, calculated—too calm. "It'll solve both our problems, wouldn’t it?"

---

"I trusted you."

"So did I."

"I love you."

"I know."

The gun pointed at me was enough to make every word, every feeling, fade into nothing. My breath hitched, and in that moment, I realized—nothing mattered anymore.

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